State Department for Children Services allocated Sh12.3B, Senate told

CS Gender , Culture,Arts and Heritage Hanna Wendot Cheptumo before the Senate Plenary to answer questions at the Senate Chambers, Parliament, Nairobi. November 12th,2025. [Elvis Ogina/Standard] Gender, Culture and Children Services Cabinet Secretary Hannah Cheptumo has told the Senate that the State Department for Children Services has been allocated Sh12.3 billion for the financial year 2025/2026. Cheptumo, who appeared before the Senate plenary to answer questions, said that Transfers to Orphans and Vulnerable Children has been allocated Sh9.1 billion, with the State Department currently supporting 445,516 households as per the October 2025 payroll. She said that the Ministry is working closely with the National Treasury to ensure a progressive increase in child protection funding over the medium term, with the projected budget requirement for the State Department for Children Services increasing annually. "The Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services is working closely with the National Treasury, with budget projection for the financial year 2026/2027 being Sh12.56 billion, while for the financial year 2027/2028 it is Sh13.73 billion and for the financial year 2028/2029 it is Sh15.10 billion," said Cheptumo. Nominated Senator Miraj Abdullahi had sought to know the actions the Ministry has taken to address the chronic underfunding of the Directorate of Children Services, and requested the Cabinet Secretary to disclose the budget estimate for the Directorate in the 2025/2026 financial year as well as the projected medium-term allocation. The Cabinet Secretary told Senators that the recent restructuring in which the State Department for Children Services was separated from the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs has significantly enhanced its visibility, thereby revealing the deep need for greater budgetary allocation within the national fiscal framework. "The Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services has adopted a multi-pronged approach to advocate for increased budgetary allocations, ensuring that child protection financing is mainstreamed into broader national planning and resource mobilisation frameworks," said Cheptumo. She told Senators that in May 2025, the Ministry held consultations with the Departmental Committee on Social Protection of the National Assembly to make a case for increased investment in children's services, with a formal request submitted seeking an additional Sh10 billion above what was earmarked for the financial year 2025/2026. The Cabinet Secretary said the justification for the additional funding was the urgent need to scale up child protection service delivery in response to rising cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation, as well as the financial requirements for recruitment and deployment of additional Children Officers. "The operationalisation of new sub-county offices and mobile outreach services and strengthening data management through the Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS) was one of the justifications for more funding for the Ministry," said Cheptumo. Miraj also sought to know measures the Ministry has put in place to ensure timely and full utilisation of funds allocated for children's welfare and protection through the Directorate of Children Services and the Victims Protection Fund. Cheptumo said the Ministry has implemented several operational and financial control measures aligned with best practices in the Public Finance Management Act of 2012, the Public Procurement and Disposal Act of 2005 and its 2020 regulations, aimed at eliminating delays and inefficiencies. She said they are carrying out timely approval of the Work Plan, Procurement Plan, and Cash Flow Plan in the 2025/2026 financial year; timely exchequer requests from the National Treasury; and timely approval of departmental activities by the Accounting Officer and the AIE Holders. "The Victim Protection Trust Fund in Kenya aims to assist and support victims of crime and abuse of power. The fund provides resources for victims, including legal and social services, and financial assistance for expenses related to their well-being," said Cheptumo. Miraj asked the Cabinet Secretary to provide a breakdown of the number of Children Officers deployed to each of the 47 counties and specify the steps being taken to address the issue of officers serving multiple counties simultaneously. Cheptumo said that as of June 2025, the number of Children Officers deployed nationwide across the 290 constituencies, 8 regions, 47 counties and 353 operational sub-county offices was 714 officers. She said the 2019 Violence Against Children Survey revealed that over 50% of children in Kenya experience violence before the age of 18, underscoring the magnitude of demand for child protection services. "Currently, 714 Children Officers are serving an estimated 18 million children nationwide. This translates to only 2.7 officers per 100,000 children-a ratio that falls significantly below both national needs and regional benchmarks," said Cheptumo. She added that in recognition of the urgent need to assess and strengthen the child protection workforce, the Ministry, through the State Department for Social Protection and Senior Citizen Affairs, with support from UNICEF, commissioned a National Workforce Mapping Report, officially launched in April 2025.

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